Securing device for wallets



Seplt. 22, 1953 J. BARRICINI SECURING DEVICE FOR wALLETs Filed Jan. 2, 1952 .11V VEN TOR.

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I IIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Sept. 22., 1953 UNITED STATES @ATENT GFFICE 2,652,873 SECURING DEVICE FOR WALLETS Jack Barricini, Scarsdale,V N. Y. Application January 2, 19,52, Serial No. 264,587 1. Claim. (Cl. 150-47) The present invention relates to a securing device for wallets, and is particularly directed to a device for securing a billfold, wallet or pocketbook to the person of the owner.

It is the general practice for gentlemen to carry their billfolds, wallets or pocketbooks in the pockets of their trousers or in the inside pockets of their jackets. However, wherever the wallet is carried, there is the danger that it may be removed from its place of repose without the knowledge of the owner either inadvertently, as by falling out of the pocket in Which it has been placed, or intentionally, as by a thief or pickpocket. Since important papers, such as, licences, identication and passports, as well as substantial sums of money, are commonly carried in wallets, such removal of the wallets from the person of the owner is often very costly, both in the financial loss involved and in the time lost in replacing the important and valuable papers that may be contained therein.

Accordingly, it is an object oi the present invention to provide a device for attachment to a wallet or other pocketbook which is adapted to secure the wallet on the person of the owner.

Another object is to provide a device for attachment to a wallet which is constructed and arranged to secure the latter in pockets of different depths.

Still another object is to provide a device for attachment to a Wallet which is easily operated by the owner to grip or release the article of wearing apparel in which the wallet is carried, and which, once it is in gripping engagement with the wearing apparel, strongly resists removal of the associated Wallet from its place of repose.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a securing device for a wallet having the foregoing characteristics and constructed to afford an attractive appearance and to avoid tearing or other damage to the garment in which the associated wallet is carried.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will be apparent in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, and to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

Further, the invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction of the several parts of the device, hereinafter described and then more clearly deiined in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a wallet having 2 a securing device attached thereto. and constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with the wallet received in a pocket and the securing device gripping the edge portion of the latter;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the Wallet of Fig. 1, but showing the securing device positionally adjusted relative to the wallet for securing the latter in a deeper pocket;

Fig. 3 is a view of the wallet in open condition and looking at the inside thereof', with a. portion of a. compartment Wall cut away to show a plate for attaching the securing device to the wallet;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the wallet showing the securing device in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational View of an element of the securing devi e embodying the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of the element of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational View of the element of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a front elevational View of a plate provided for securing the element of Fig. 5 vto the wallet;

Eig. 9 'is a side Fig. 8;` and Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional along the line i0.-I of Eig. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein the elevational view of the plate of View taken other similar pocketbook II of conventional The. securing device I0 includes a mounting plate I2 (Figs. 5, 6 and 7), preferably of elongated, rectangular configuration, and having an are undercut as at I4 (Fig. 7) for a purpose hereinafter indicated. A nat slidable member I5 (Figs. 6 and 10) is mounted on the movement along the latter, and for is provided with a projection I6 (Fig. 10) extending from its rear face and into the slot I3. The rear end of the projection I5 is laterally enlarged, as at I'I, Within the undercut portion I 4 of the slot to prevent separation of the slidable member I5 from the mounting plate I2. The undercutting of the slot I3 permits the lateral enlargement I'I to lie flush with the rear surface of the mounting plate I 2 so that 3 movement of the slidable member will not be hindered when the plate I2 is secured to the outside of a wallet in the manner hereinafter provided.

A U-shaped guide member I8 (Figs. 5 and 6) is fixed to the slidable member I5 at points adjacent the ends of its parallel legs so that the guide member I8 extends substantially parallel to the slidable member and is spaced from the front face of the latter to provide a space I9 therebetween. As seen in Fig. 6, the free end of the guide member I8 is preferably flared or curved away from the member I5 to facilitate the entrance of the edge portion of a pocket into the space I9.

A gripping member 20, extending between the legs of the U-shaped guide member I8, is pivotally mounted adjacent one end on a pin 2I carried by the guide member. A torsion spring 22 (Fig. 6) is disposed between the slidable member I5 and the gripping member to continuously urge the free end of the latter in the direction toward the front face of the slidable member I5. Prongs or teeth 23 extend rearwardly from the free end portion of the gripping member to securely grip fabric or other material disposed in the space I9. A head 24 is formed integral with the gripping member and extends in the opposite direction from the pivot pin ZI so that, when the head 24 is pressed manually toward the slidable member I5, the prongs 23 are withdrawn from the space I9 to permit the edge portion of a pocket to be inserted in, or removed from, that space.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the mounting plate I2 is attached to the wallet II at the outside thereof and adjacent and at right angles to the top end edge of the wallet. In order to provide for such attachment of the mounting plate to the wallet, an attachment plate 25 (Figs. 3, 8 and 9) is disposed against the inside of the wallet wall and suitable fastening members, for example, screws 26 extending through holes 21 in the plate 25, through the wallet wall and into tapped holes 28 in the mounting plate I2, are employed to fasten together the plates I2 and 25 with the wallet wall therebetween. Using the particular fastening members detailed above, the front face of the plate I2 remains smooth, and there are no projections to interfere with the movement of the slidable member I5 along the slot I3.

In using the securing device I0 for holding a billfold, wallet or pocketbook in a pocket or other similar place of repose, the slidable member I5 is first adjusted along the slot I3 so that the edge portion 29 (Figs. 1 and 4) of the pocket will reach into the space I9 between the guide member I8 and the member I5, when the wallet is resting against the bottom of the pocket. The wallet is then inserted into the pocket, while depressing the head 24 on the gripping member 20, so that the edge portion 29 of the pocket may enter the space I9. When the head 24 is released, the

4 spring 22 urges the gripping member 20 towards the member I5 so that the prongs 23 grip the material of the edge portion 29 to prevent removal of said edge portion from space I9, and consequently to prevent removal of the wallet II from its place of repose within the pocket.

The wallet can be removed from the pocket Without tearing the material of the edge portion 29, only after the head 24 of the gripping member is again depressed. It is apparent that the securing device I0, constructed and arranged as described above, will prevent the accidental removal of the associated wallet from the pocket, and will greatly discourage the removal of the wallet by pickpockets or thieves. Further, it is apparent that the device is adjustable to secure the associated wallet in pockets of different depths.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention by way of example, it is apparent that changes and modications, obvious to one skilled in the art, may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is' A device for securing a wallet and the like in a pocket; said device comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured to the outside of a wallet, a slidable member, means mounting said slidable member on said mounting plate for positional adjustment relative to the latter, a U- shaped guide member fixed at the ends of its parallel side legs on said slidable member and spaced from the latter to define a downwardly opening space therebetween for receiving the edge portion o a pocket in which the associated wallet is disposed, a gripping ringer pivotally mounted at one end between said ends of the parallel side legs of the guide member and extending between said side legs, spring means acting on said finger and urging the latter to pivot in the direction moving the free end of said ringer laterally into said space for holding the edge portion of a pocket in said space to thereby prevent removal of the associated wallet from the pocket, and an actuating head extending from the pivoted end of said nger so that manual pressure on said head will effect removal of said free end of the inger from said space.

JACK BARRICINI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,068,209 Bird July 22, 1913 1,107,958 Jorgensen Aug. 18, 1914 1,513,784 Roesner Nov. 4, 1924 1,537,256 Mitchell May 12, 1925 1,692,712 Tannenbaum Nov. 20, 1928 1,695,350 Shively Dec. 18, 1928 1,844,096 Levene Feb. 9, 1932 2,483,795 Werber Oct. 4, 1949 

